John, Philadelphia has a violence problem. Kids are dying, and Philadelphians are afraid to visit parts of our city where they’ve never been afraid of before.

As the father of a child on the autism spectrum, I worry that if he tries to take a card out of his pocket to share his information with someone, he may get shot.

Philadelphia can’t afford another year of record homicides. It’s time for us to work together to reclaim the accountability we’ve lost in our city.

Taxpayers in Philadelphia are asking for a return on investment for the money we’ve invested in public safety and policing — that means clearing cases and prosecuting cases.

With our city’s dwindling police force, we must ensure we’re hiring police officers who look like the people living in our city and have the knowledge and resources to avoid situations of racial bias and discrimination while keeping our city safe.

We have invested millions of dollars in funding violence prevention groups who are working on the ground in our city’s most impacted communities, and City Council will soon hold a hearing with ManUpPHL, a nonprofit in our city dedicated to providing young men ages 18-35 who may be susceptible to perpetrating or falling victim to gun violence with resources.

But we need to do more, and Philadelphia needs leaders who will demand accountability.

It’s past time to make real, actionable change in our city to end violence. If you agree, please sign my petition calling for reform and accountability to address Philadelphia’s violent crime epidemic:

ADD YOUR NAME

After you’ve signed your name, click here to watch my recent comments on public safety in Philadelphia during the AFSCME Council District 33 Delegates Seminar.

Thank you for taking a stand,

Councilmember Derek Green